


Imperfect

by wontonwriter



Category: Original Work, Story Remake - Fandom
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Broken Families, Childhood Friends, Depression, Developing Relationship, Eating Disorders, Friends to Lovers, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mental Health Issues, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Multi, Not my Plot!, Original Characters but Non-Original Plot, Please don't be offended cause I don't know much about Japanese lifestyle, Self Confidence Issues, Sexual Content, Teen Pregnancy, Unhealthy Relationships, Yaoi, set in Japan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-06-26 20:49:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15671043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wontonwriter/pseuds/wontonwriter
Summary: The four of them used to be best friends, attached to the hip. But then, high school rolls around. High school changes people; for better or for worse.





	1. Time Changes People

**Author's Note:**

> This story plot is not owned by me! I read this story by fir8008 titled "Growing Up Is Hard to Do" and it really hit close to home for me, since I related to some of the characters. Anyways, I really liked it so I decided to follow the plot, but change some things up. I am saying this again, the idea for this story is not MINE! 
> 
> "Growing Up Is Hard to Do" - by fir8008  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15360996/chapters/35643384
> 
> Give it a read and leave a kudos for the story, it's really good and it's worth your time! Any who, enjoy my rendition of it :)
> 
> ALSOO, you saw the Mpreg tag, if you're not into that type of stuff then skidaddle!!

“ _We never said goodbye. All we did was slowly drift away from each other until we could no longer go back_.” - Steven Vain

-

It was funny to think that in just a short span of four months, the gap between them would quickly grow until the four of them wouldn’t even text or call each other. Sora frowns to himself, missing his only three friends. Who knew that the bond between them would break that easily?

As if time became non-existent, Sora is trying to maneuver his way through a swarm of high school students, trying to spot any familiar faces. He sees one of his best friends, Yuto awkwardly standing there. The only noticeable change was the absence of his abnormally huge glasses. Apart from that, he sees that he’s also grown a few inches and looks a little more muscular. Looking on he sees Yui, who now prefers to wear skirts and hang out with the cheerleaders instead of wearing her old sweatpants and lounging around playing video games.

Looking down at his toes, he realizes he’s probably the only that hasn’t changed a bit; he still hasn’t grown, he still has his mop of undyed hair and he’s still himself. Four months can really change a person, can’t it?

Before he starts to walk over to Yuto, he’s knocked over onto the floor. He barely has enough time to respond before his personal space is invaded by a handsome face. The guy in front of him whistles, a mischievous smirk plastered on his face. “Well hello beautiful…” The guy smirks.

Sora is terrified, Yuto is still awkwardly standing there and Yui is looking on at the situation, sharing whispers with her fellow cheerleaders.

Before the creep can come any closer, one of his friends shoves him away. “Dude lay off him, he’s only new.” The guy laughs, slapping the creep on the back. “Calm down dude, I was just joking around!” He laughs back, making his way around Sora. A couple of tall guys follow him but one in particular catches his eye;  _it’s Kaito_.

Out of the four of them, Kaito is the one that changed the most. He’s definitely grown a couple of inches and looks buff, his biceps protruding out of his basketball jacket. He’s dyed his hair chestnut and now has a couple of piercings. The two share eye contact for a moment before Kaito returns to his friends.

Sora is in the bathroom, looking at himself. He doesn’t know why, but he hates how everyone changed. Change is a natural thing, but he wishes it wasn’t. Knowing that all his friends just up and left him to make new friends upsets him.  _Well, almost everyone_.

The door is burst open, and a familiar face makes his way towards Sora. “Sora! I haven’t seen you in forever!” Yuto shouts, picking Sora up for a bone-crushing hug. Sora wiggles himself out of the bear hold with a fake scowl on his face.

“Why didn’t you help me back there? I felt very uncomfortable!” Sora pouts, crossing his arms. “I didn’t know what to do, I swear! Please forgive me!” Yuto frowns, shaking Sora. Sora drops his act and laughs, “Whatever, we have classes to attend anyways. You owe me ice cream after school though.” Sora grins, walking out of the bathroom with Yuto in tow.

Even with Yuto by his side, Sora can’t help but think how different it feels. There’s supposed to be four of them, not two. But Yui and Kaito have grown tired of the days when they ran around the neighborhood and sneaked out for ice cream.  _He just has to accept that_.

Yui is sitting with her new friends, ogling at the guys playing basketball. Even from afar, she still remembers that face. Yui wonders why none of her three friends came up to her. She doesn’t know why, but it upsets her. Four months can really change people, can’t it?

Her thoughts are interrupted by a squeal, “Ohhmyygoshhh! He’s so hot!! Yui, don’t you think so?” Ichika, a fellow cheerleader asks. Yui laughs, “I’m not really into basketballers. Cute nerds are right up my alley though.” Her friends shake their heads in disgust, “Eww!! No way, I’d rather a guy with big pecs thanks!” Akari, another cheerleader remarks. Yui laughs, in a way which feels  _forced_ , but she chooses to ignore it.

Kaito wipes the sweat of his forehead, taking a big gulp of water. He still hasn’t forgotten his friends of course, but his goal for high school is to follow in the steps of his older big brother Riku and become the most popular guy in school, the classic high school heartthrob if you will.

He idolizes Riku; he’s the one that got him into basketball in the first place, introduced him to his underclassmen to give him a head start in the race for popularity. Disappointing his older brother is worse than disappointing his own parents in his eyes. His parents are never around to see him anyways, so he relies on his older brother to be the father that he’s never had.

“Where were you during break?” Yuto asks, munching on his sandwich. Sora sighs, still unable to explain everything.

“I went on vacation with my family and they literally went nuts if I went on my phone.” Sora smiles deceivingly. Yuto nods, “Well that explains why you weren’t picking up my calls!” Yuto feigns anger, putting Sora in a light headlock. They both laugh, but Sora is just glad that Yuto believed him.

“When you were gone, I really didn’t know what happened. Yui and Kaito just stopped answering my calls or replying to my texts. I even tried coming over to their houses, but they both just rejected my offers of hanging out. Hmph, assholes.” Yuto huffs, taking aggressive bites out of his sandwich.

“High school changes people Yuto...” Sora says sadly, “For better or for worse.” He sighs, leaning back on his chair.


	2. Impetuous

“ _Even when we’re trapped in time and get lost, we will eventually meet._ ” – “Rough” by GFriend

 -

In what seems like a millisecond the first week of high school finishes up and Sora couldn’t be happier. The remnants of his old friendships still lurk around him, reminding him of what could’ve been if he wasn’t so silent.

 

“Do I seriously have to buy you ice cream again?” Yuto whines, letting Sora drag him into the ice cream shop.

 

“Yep! It’s the least you could do after you spilled your chocolate milk all over my homework.” Sora giggles, eagerly skimming through the flavors. Yuto sighs but takes out his wallet.

 

Unbeknownst to them, a hooded figure watches them from afar.

 

“Yui! Cheerleading tryouts are finally open, aren’t you excited?” Ichika asks, jumping like a bunny on crack. “Yeah of course? I didn’t work my ass off for nothing right?” Yui _laughs_.

 

Akari nudges her side, “Oi look! Hot guy over there was definitely checking you out.” She smirks, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

 

“Oh please, not my type.” Yui scoffs, crossing her arms. Ichika sends her a disapproving look, “Not your type? You’re missing out Yui, I’m telling you.” She says, looking over at said hot guy.

 

Yui wants to say something, but she just _laughs_.

 

The loud bustle of the door alerts Kaito out of his trance. His eyes widen as he sees his friends walk over to him, but he quickly pretends to not notice.

 

“Hey dude, why’d you pussy out on basketball today?” One of them asked him. Kaito huffs, “Didn’t feel like it today boys.” He coolly says, leaning back on his chair.

 

“Hey! That’s not the attitude you should be having if you’re serious about basketball you know.” Another adds. They all go down to sit with him, dismissing the basketball situation. All is well until they start talking about Sora.

 

“Oi! Is that the guy that Daichi was feeling up this week? Man, he’s kind of cute!” Hitoshi, the only one Kaito knew before high school asks. They all turn their heads to Sora, who is making a face at Yuto.

 

“Oh, shit it is! Never got to see him clearly though, but I’m liking the view.” One of them says, “I mean, I’d hit that.” Another one nods approvingly.

 

 

Kaito presses his lips in a thin line, not happy about them saying things like this; _Sora is too innocent… He’s too fragile._

 

A nudge on his side makes him snap out of his trance, “What’d you think? He’s cute right?” Hitoshi asks. Kaito only shrugs in response.

 

Yuto is walking by himself, sucking on a lollipop. He’s dropped off Sora, so he’s a bit stumped on what to do. He doesn’t have more time to think as a rough bump on his shoulder alerts him.

 

Even in the darkness, Yuto can still remember that face. “Oh! What’s up Kaito?” He greets, smiling at the slightly taller man. He’s confused as to why he looks so pissed. The other man just nods, walking straight past him in a hurry.

 

“Hey! Why are you in such a hurry!” He shouts, running up to him. Kaito suddenly stops, taking a deep breath.

 

“Are you… Dating Sora by any chance?” He asks, nibbling at his upper lip. This question throws Yuto off guard; _he’s never had any feelings for Sora, at least he thinks he hasn’t._

“U-uh… No? Why’d you ask?” Yuto asks back, crossing his arms. Seeing this, Kaito fixes his stance. “No? Where’d you get that idea, Sora’s not my type.” He retaliates, shoving Yuto before walking away. Yuto only stares at his back as he regains his posture, wondering when Kaito became so hard-headed.

 

Yui looks down at the number on the scale. _52 kilos_. Yui shudders, slapping herself in the face for breaking her diet.

 

_“You won’t get in if you’re over 50 you know.”_ The voice inside her head laughs mockingly. Yui frantically shakes her head to get rid of the voices. _It works_.

 

Sora is still doing homework at the brink of midnight. He likes the eerie but calm silence, it makes him forget everything that happened.

 

His dainty fingers unconsciously graze his thin wrist as he stares at the moon, but when he feels the bumps, he loses his breath. Before he knows it, he’s crying, but he chooses to ignore it. _It helps, at least for a little while._

 

It’s Saturday, and Sora was supposed to meet Yuto at the bus stop thirty minutes ago. Yuto checks his watch again, tapping his foot impatiently. Yuto is a patient man indeed, but when he’s hungry he’s hungry.

 

Suddenly, he hears a familiar voice call out his name. He turns his head to the voice, only to be met by a shocking sight. Sora is there, hair a mess, eyes bloodshot, looking paler than usual.

 

“Hey Sora… Uh, what happened to you?” He asks. Sora looks up at him in confusion, “What do you mean? I’m fine, is there something wrong?” Sora answers. Yuto wants to ask more questions, but his stomach is at the upmost importance.

“Okay then… Well! Shall we go?” He smiles, extending his arm out to Sora who smiles back, hooking his arm around his in response. 

Unbeknownst to them, a hooded figure watches them from afar.

 

Kaito doesn’t know what to feel; he shouldn’t be mad nor jealous, he has no right. But looking at them just makes his stomach curl, and he doesn’t know why.

 

Yui misses her old life, not caring if she had a little but of pudge in her stomach. In a logical sense, Yui was fine for her height but the voice inside her head keeps on ridiculing her for not doing better.

 

“Honey! Dinner is ready, come on down please!” Her mother calls out. “I’ll skip out on this one ma, I’m pretty full!” She says. _She doesn’t feel like eating_.


	3. Unsteady

“ _These aren’t feelings that I can end in just one day, with just one try._ ” – “Universe” by EXO

- 

Yui is in the midst between wanting to starve herself and wanting to indulge. She can’t seem to let go of her old habits, which is why she is digging into a bowl of ramen. Her friends look on with a disappointed look, whispering to one another. Yui isn’t an idiot; she knows what they’re saying, but she decides to _ignore_ it.

 

It’s almost been a month since the start of high school and they still haven’t talked. Sora’s thankful that Yuto is there with him, but its easy to see that he misses Yui and Kaito. Without them, it just doesn’t feel complete.

 

Yuto should be concerned about how Sora’s been showing up to school with bloodshot eyes and messed up hair. Yuto should be concerned about how Sora seems to grow more agitated as the days roll by. Yuto wants to ask about it, but he knows better than to get into someone else’s business.

To say that Kaito felt a little awkward was an understatement; _Kaito felt completely out of place_. He was only sixteen, yet his older friends invited him to his first ever ‘grown-up’ party. He may look buff and ruthless, but he was still nervous as hell. _Not that he’d admit that out loud though._

His older brother is sitting next to him, feeling up a girl. All the girls in here were too old and way out of his league. He coughed awkwardly, alerting his brother.

 

“What’s up?” He asks, word slurred. Kaito just shook his head and smiled, “I just need to go out for some air.” Riku smiled and nodded, obviously not caring in the slightest because he was about to get laid.

 

Kaito stood up and rushed to the front door, knocking into a few people. By the time he got out, his shirt was stained, and he stunk like a pig. Kaito checks his watch; 8:38 pm. He was only in there for half an hour? _God he felt like a pussy._

While walking back to his house, a familiar ( _small_ ) figure caught his attention. Kaito saw Sora, standing outside of his house, clad in a sweater way too big for him.

 

His hair was a mess and he looked worried. Despite this, Kaito just kept staring, unsure of how to approach him after five months of no interaction. He ducked down behind a car, spying on him through the car window.

From what he can see, Sora is just standing idly. After what seemed like hours, Sora finally turned around and walked back inside his house. Kaito furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, not knowing what to make of the situation. He stands up from his hiding place and contemplates on just knocking on his door, _but he doesn’t_.

 

Yuto: soraa lets go get ice cream,, i’ll pay :))

Sora: sorry, not in the mood.

Yuto: wait what?? you’re always in the mood for ice cream though.

Sora: i said not today yuto, maybe tomorrow.

 

Yuto stares at his phone screen in deep thought; _what the hell is going on with him?_

Yui looks down at the number on the scale. _53 kilos._ Taking in a deep breath, she gets off the scale and slumps against a wall. Before she knows it, tears start streaming down her eyes.

 

“ _You are a fucking idiot. You knew the consequences, yet you still ate.”_ The voice inside her head mocks, “ _You look like an elephant, how on Earth are you gonna get into the cheerleading squad?”_ The voice continues, laughing.

 

She grabs on her hair and shakes her head, trying to conceal the voices. _It works_.

 

Sora’s breath is shaking as he makes his way into his room, slamming the door closed and locking it tight. He stumbles his way to his desk, opening a drawer. His eyes lock onto the only thing in it; _a razor_. He contemplates for a second, before slamming the drawer closed and screaming. He drops onto the floor, eyes shut tight as tears continuously stream down his face.

 

_No one hears him._

It’s been two weeks and Kaito is still contemplating on whether to just break the silence and go up to Sora or wait for Sora to come to him. It’s been hard though, no matter how much he wants to go to him, his friends stick to him like glue. Not to mention the countless girls that come up to him, striking up conversations and asking for his number. He’d usually turn them down, but one day life just threw him into a situation he had no chance of escaping.

 

Amano Cocona, one of the popular girls. She got attention after coming into school on her first day wearing a _revealing_ plaid skirt. Bonus? She’s the same age as him, so he didn’t feel awkward. She came up to him one day, seductively swaying her hips side to side. Kaito was probably drooling at this point, mouth agape.

 

“Hey! I’ve heard about you, Kaito, right?” She asked innocently. After a few seconds, Kaito nodded his head frantically. She laughed and flashed a _beautiful_ smile, “Well, I’m Cocona and I’m gonna give you my number, you should text me later.” She winked, handing him a slip of paper. And off she went, walking off while _still_ seductively swaying her hips. Kaito gulped; _what the fuck did I just get myself into?_

Cocona squealed, jumping up and down. “I. Just. Gave. Kaito. My. Fucking. Phone. Number.” She says dramatically, eyes wide open in realization. The whole circle was thrilled, but Yui was too tired to care.

 

 

“I can’t believe you just did that! Soon you’re gonna have him wrapped around your finger!” Akari squealed, “You’re gonna wait till next year till you know…” She adds, cheeks turning red. Cocona laughs, “I don’t know, only time can tell.” She smirks, igniting a flurry of more squeals and comments.

 

“Man, I can’t believe that guy… It’s only been a month and a half and he’s already acting like a playboy.” Yuto huffs, slumping down on his chair. Sora laughs, “I told you-” he says, “-Highschool changes people; for better or for worse.” Yuto interrupts, rolling his eyes.

 

Sora is taken aback. “How’d you know that I was gonna say that?” He asks, eyes widened in shock. Now it’s Yuto’s turn to laugh, “I’ve got more memory than 32 gigs of ram!” He smiles, pointing to his head. _This guy is something else_ , Sora thinks to himself.

 

“Cocona is so lucky!! She literally gets all the good guys, seriously.” Akari crosses her arms in annoyance, “Right? It’s like she’s a dick magnet.” Ichika says. Yui doesn’t understand why they’re all swooning over Kaito. But then again, her mind is too pre-occupied on what she’s gonna have later to eat.  


	4. Locked In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't been updating! I'm in the process of moving house and I barely have time to write, I apologize :)) 
> 
> Normal updating will be back soon!

“ _You know it’s real when it starts to hurt._ ” – Original Quote

 -

If Yuto had to count the times Sora would come to school all mopey and looking like a mess, he would’ve lost track by now. It’s been two and a half months since Sora started doing this and it’s driving Yuto crazy. As his best friend, Yuto wants to go up to him and ask him what’s wrong, but he knows he can’t. _It’ll make everything worse anyways_.

 

“Did you do the homework?” Yuto asks, looking down at Sora who was cleaning his glasses. _His eyes are bloodshot again_. Sora looks up at him, “What homework? We didn’t have anything due in…” He says, looking back down to wipe his glasses.

 

“You’re in deep shit Sora, our History teacher’s gonna kill you! You know how strict she is with due dates!” He shouts. Sora almost drops his stuff, suddenly remembering what he was talking about, “Oh no… Oh no, oh no, oh no! I can’t afford to get a detention, it’ll ruin my perfect record!” Sora gasps, running to the library.

 

Yuto furrows his eyebrows in confusion. _Sora never forgets about homework. _

Yui smiles weakly. ‘Akamine Yui’ is one of the names on the piece of paper. _That’s her name. She made the squad. A month of intense dieting really worked in her favor._

 

Around her she can hear the squeals of her future fellow cheerleaders, and the sobs from the girls who weren’t so lucky.

 

“Eek! Girls, we made it!” Akari screams, jumping up and down excitedly. “How much did you guys diet? Oh. My. Gosh. When I go home I’m making myself a huge meal to make up for all the meals I’ve missed over the month!” Ichika sighs in relief, rubbing her tummy. Yui laughs in a way which feels _forced_ , “I dieted like my life depended on it.” She responds, still staring at her name.

 

“Yo Kaito, congrats man! We made it.” Hitoshi bro-fists Kaito, looking at their two names which are on the board. “Out of the two of us whose gonna be captain?” He grins, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t mind being wingman dude, but it’d be nice if I was in the lead. I’m better than you anyway.” Hitoshi laughs. “You wish!” Kaito feigns offence, punching Hitoshi on the arm.

 

Out of all the basketball douches, Hitoshi is the only one he’s genuinely friends with. He’s known him for the longest and he seems like a cool enough dude to hang out with. Besides, hanging out with him won’t tarnish his reputation.

 

“So dude, how’s Cocona going? Have you two hit it off yet?” Hitoshi asks. An onslaught of whistles and hoots come and Kaito smirks, “Not yet, but soon. She’s playing hard to get boys.” He answers. More whistles come and soon enough, Kaito is the center of attention as he tells everyone how Cocona and him have been doing.

 

In all honesty, Kaito hasn’t been doing jack shit with Cocona. He doesn’t have time to, and he doesn’t even like her. She may be hot, but he can tell that she’s only in it for the size of what’s _down there_ , not the heart.

 

As he’s telling more lies, Sora and Yuto walks past the herd of boys. Kaito’s eyes follow Sora’s movements. His steps are fast-paced. He’s pressing his books tightly onto his chest and his glasses are hanging off his face.

 

“ _How cute._ ” He thinks to himself absent-mindedly.

 

The lunch bell rings, signifying the start to the last period of the day. Sora sighs in relief, slumping down on his chair and clutching onto his essay he just finished. It’s terrible and the highest he’ll get with it will probably be a C, but at least he finished it.

 

“Jeez… All that fuss for a simple essay?” Yuto said sarcastically. Sora huffs and sits back up on his chair, “It’s for a good cause Yuto… Every ‘simple’ essay counts.” He refutes. Yuto just raises an eyebrow at him; _He sure is weird._

 

Sora hears the door click shut when he enters his house; _it’s that silent_. He gently takes his shoes off and tiptoes into the kitchen, not expecting to find his mom there, frantically flipping through their bills, muttering curses and profanities. Her hair is a mess, and he sees two empty beer bottles next to her.

 

“Hi mom…” He greets quietly, gently making his way next to her. It takes a few minutes before she stops what she’s doing, sighing. “We barely have enough money to pay off the bills… I-I can’t deal with this…” She says, her voice hoarse. She grabs another beer bottle before walking off, not even paying any mind to Sora.

 

Before he knows it, tears start streaming down his face. _He doesn’t even try to wipe them away._

Yui is eating everything she sees in her pantry; _she deserves this_. She’s only been eating apples and cucumbers for the past month and now that she knows that she’s made the team, she indulges in everything she has missed. Pastries, chips, chocolate, you name it, it was probably in Yui’s stomach.

 

Yui burps loudly as she crashes onto the floor. She’s probably gained all the weight she shed off in one sitting. One single sitting, yet all she can do is cry about it. The voice inside her head is getting louder as she snaps back to reality, taunting her.

 

“ _Two words; Fat. Bitch.”_ It laughs, “ _You really let yourself go, haven’t you?”_ It adds, mocking her with no remorse. Yui tries to shake her head to get rid of the voice, but this time it doesn’t work. She grabs onto her hair and screams. _It works_.

 

Yuto is all by himself today. To say he’s a bit scared is an understatement, because he is shitting himself. Sora’s been with him since the start of school and since he isn’t here today, Yuto is going solo for the first time in two months. Yuto doesn’t like being by himself, he’d rather be the supporting character to someone else’s film if it means that he’d get to stay back in the shadows.

 

He’s walking to his locker, trying not to pay mind to all the whispers around him.

 

“ _Isn’t he the awkward guy that always clings onto the cute little one?”_ One of them whispers, ”I _think so… Gee, the little one can do so much better, it’s a shame._ ” Another one whispers back.

 

_“’Do so much better?’ What the hell is that supposed to mean?”_ He thinks to himself, opening his locker and dumping all his things inside carelessly.

 

Yuto looks up at the sign with a frown; _Gaming Club_. This was where all the nerds hanged out, but he didn’t have a choice. Besides, he would probably be considered a nerd as well, what with his glasses and love for games.

 

He opens the door, finding a bunch of guys huddling up in front of a computer screen. One of them pops their head up, “Look guys! New person!” He says in amazement, rushing over to shake Yuto’s hand. The others follow, introducing themselves with big smiles plastered over their faces. Yuto’s frown is soon replaced with a small smile.

 

Cocona, the new cheer captain, claps her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Alright squad! Welcome to our first squad meetup, one of the _many_ to come.” She says with confidence. She examines her fellow cheerleaders, concluding that she indeed is still the hottest.

 

After her little speech, the basketballers barge into the gymnasium. “Well, if it isn’t the new batch of dorks that’ll be representing our school for basketball.” Cocona smirks, crossing her arms. The cheerleaders rally behind her, and soon it looks like a full-on army, with Cocona at the front leading.

 

“We may be dorks, but we’re _charming_ dorks.” Hitoshi swoops in, winking at the crowd of girls, who break out into squeals. His wink doesn’t have any effect on Cocona however as she stands her ground, “Which one of your fucktards is the captain?” She asks. Kaito clears his throat, walking to the front.

 

“I believe you’re looking for me.” He smiles, extending his hand out for a handshake. Cocona’s scowl is replaced with a _beautiful_ smile as she shakes hands with Kaito, “I hope both our teams can get along for the next three years.” She says cheerfully.

 

“Trust me, we will.” He says back, his deep voice sending chills down Cocona’s back. She’s flustered as Kaito leads his team out of the gymnasium.

 

A series of whistles and hoots ignite when he makes his way outside, “Dude, that was awesome! I totally saw a spark between you two.” Hitoshi slaps his back. Kaito just laughs, “She’s the type to play hard-to-get, it’ll take a while my dude.” He smirks.

 

Sora is staring up at the moon. He takes in all the peace, taking deep breaths. He closes his eyes, laying his head on the hard-wooden surface. He took his first day off school today. It’s weird, he’s not the type of person to just ditch school, but when he woke up he couldn’t even get up.

_He felt empty. He thought these feelings would go away when he returned home, but it’s getting worse. Two of his closest friends turned their back on him, his mom is developing an addiction-_

_-And his dad is still laying on a goddamn hospital bed._


	5. Interlude - Yuto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set before they went to high school. Enjoy!

“Yuto! Come, your friends are here!” His mom shouted from downstairs. Yuto jumped up from his bed in excitement, giddily jumping down the stairs. He dashed over to the front door, seeing his three best friends.

 

“Hi Yuto!” They all screamed in unison, running into the house to tackle him into a hug; this week it was Yuto’s turn to host their weekly sleepovers. “Hi guys!” He said, smiling brightly at them, “Come, I rented so many movies for us to watch!” He added, leading his friends into the living room.

 

“The Incredibles, Mulan, Aladdin…” Yui skimmed through this week’s picks, “We’ve really watched all of the movies the rental store has to offer, haven’t we?” Kaito laughs, sitting down next to Sora.

 

“I’ve tried guys, there’s nothing new over there!” Yuto sighs, closing the shelf he just looked in. “Don’t worry, we can always watch The Little Mermaid again!” Sora says softly, picking up the DVD case with his tiny fingers. “Nonsense! We’ve watched that boring movie so many times, let’s watch The Incredibles!” Kaito suggests.

 

“And why is it boring? It’s beautiful, and I like their songs!” Yui chimes in, crossing her arms. “It’s a girls movie! I want something with action, not some boring underwater musical!” Kaito huffs. Yui gasps, “ _Boring_? Well I don’t want to watch The Incredibles, which is _so_ boring.” Yui says, faking a yawn.

 

“It’s way more epic than that _stupid_ mermaid movie.” Kaito deadpans, rolling his eyes. “Kaito! No swearing!” Sora says quietly with wide eyes, punching Kaito in the arm.

 

_Yuto just watches them._

“Kids! Pizza’s here!” Yuto’s dad enters the house, carrying four pizza boxes. They cheer, rushing over to the dining table. Each get their own pizza box; _cheese for Yui, Hawaiian for Yuto and pepperoni for Kaito and Sora._ Sora usually can’t finish his, so he just gives the rest to Kaito.

 

“Thank you dad!” Yuto says, hugging his dad tightly. His dad chuckles, patting his son on the head lightly. “Eat well guys!” He smiles, walking out the room. The four cheer, happily opening their pizza boxes and digging in.

 

Ten minutes later and Kaito has devoured six of his slices. Yui and Yuto have finished four, while Sora is still halfway through his third. Sora has always been the smallest out of all of them, so he can’t hold in as much food as the others. Burping, he pushes the box away. “Yeah, I can’t eat anymore.” He says, clutching onto his stomach.

 

“Can I eat yours?” Kaito says, biting into his seventh slice. Sora nods, and Kaito happily takes his box. “Slow down Kaito, you’re gonna have a stomach ache!” Yui says, laughing at him. “I’m a big boy! I need to eat more than you guys!” Kaito says proudly, stuffing the crust into his mouth.

 

“We get it, you’re tall.” Sora huffs in annoyance. Kaito laughs and puts his arm around Sora’s narrow shoulders, “And you’re short, but that makes you cute!” He replies, poking Sora’s reddening cheek. Yui coos at them, “Aww! How cute!”

 

_Yuto just watches them._

The four of them are laying together, tightly hugging each other. They were watching a scary movie, and Sora was terrified. It was Kaito’s idea, and he doesn’t know why he agreed; he hates scary movies.

 

Sora buries his face in Kaito’s chest, shivering with fear. Yui glares at Kaito, “This is almost traumatizing for him! Change it Kaito.” She commands. “But it’s getting to the best part!” Kaito says, stuffing his mouth with popcorn. Yui huffs and grabs the remote, turning the TV off.

 

“Hey!” Kaito shouts and snatches the remote back, fumbling with the buttons. “What? Your friend was scared and all you did was eat popcorn!” Yui defends herself, grabbing Sora from Kaito. Kaito drops the remote and snatches Sora back to his chest, “I was protecting him!” He shouts back, “Well you weren’t doing a good job!” Yui sasses, grabbing Sora.

 

The two were at a tug-of-war; Yui and Kaito were always the competitive ones out of the four, usually having friendly fights to see who was better out of the two of them; _but sometimes their ‘fights’ go too far._

“Guys… Stop…” Sora pleas, feeling dizzy. His pleas go unheard, as the two throw insults at each other. “Guys, please…” Sora continues, his voice getting louder, tears brimming in his eyes.

 

“STOP IT!” Sora shouts. Tears spill out of his eyes, and he buries face into his knees as he hugs his legs. “Sora? What’s wrong?” Kaito asks frantically in concern, engulfing Sora in a big hug. “Y-you guys… Were making me dizzy… And it’s dark now too!” Sora sobs, burying his face in Kaito’s chest.

 

“Let’s sing a song!” Yuto chimes in. The three turn their heads to look at him, confused. “Sing a song? But why?” Yui asks, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Yuto shrugs, “I figured it would be the best thing to do right now, seeing how Sora’s crying. He loves singing.” Yuto smiles _. Even in the dark, they can still see his gums showing._

 

When the three were still staring at him weirdly, he sighs and clears his throat.

 

“ _Old Macdonald had a farm,”_ He began to sing. Sora smiles; _that was his favourite nursery rhyme back in the day!_ Sora sings along with him, then Kaito and Yui sing along as well.

 

“ _Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O, and on his farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O, with a “moo-moo” here and a “moo-moo” there, here a “moo” there a “moo”, everywhere a “moo-moo! Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O!_

The four laughed. They laughed for a while, hugging each other. Yuto smiles, looking on at his three best friends.

 

Yuto really had to pee. The other three were fast asleep, so he had to be quiet. Silently creeping out of his sleeping bag, he tiptoes his way into the hallway bathroom. He goes to turn the knob but was stopped when he heard a voice.

 

“ _Okay, I’ll be there soon baby.”_ He hears his father say. _Baby?_ Yuto furrows his eyebrows, peeking into the kitchen.

 

“Where are you right now?” His father says, “In your bedroom? I hope you’re unclothed then.” He adds, speaking in a tone which makes Yuto sick.

Yuto hurries into the bathroom when he hears his father’s feet shuffling. He hears the front door shut quietly, signifying his father’s exit. Crumbling to the floor, Yuto stares at the floor with emotionless eyes, coming to a realization; _his father was cheating._

 

The next morning his father hadn’t come home yet, and his friends were all gone. His mother was sitting on the couch, reading a book. _Yuto has to tell her. It’ll make everything worse if he doesn’t._

”Mom… I have something to tell you.” He says quietly. His mom looks up from her book and stares at her with concerned eyes, “What is it honey? Did something happen?” She asks.

 

Yuto sighs, “I-it’s about dad.” He mutters, “What about him?” She presses on. Yuto feels bad because he loves him mom more than anyone in the world, but he knows he has; _it’s just the right thing to do._

“W-well, I heard him last night… He was talking to someone on the phone and called them ‘ _baby_ ’…” He stutters, not looking at his mom. He hears a loud thud; _she’s dropped her book_.

 

“W-what else, sweetie?” She gulps. She’s been having suspicions of her husband leaving for work in the middle of the night; this only confirms it. “H-he said something about getting ‘unclothed’ and—”

 

Yuto’s mom jumps up from the coach and runs to the front door, slamming it on her way out. Yuto rushes after her, but by the time he gets onto the porch his mom is already in the car, turning the engine on.

 

_Before he could call out to her, she’s already speeding off._


	6. Disconnected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday tomorrow yay! And I still don't have WiFi so I'm using my date -.-
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

" _Missing someone is your heart's way of reminding you that you love them._ " - Original Quote

-

When things couldn’t get any worse, life had to slap her across the face. Cocona had noticed that she gained weight, so she had to deal with hours of useless pep talk before being able to go. She dashed out of the gym so fast that she accidentally knocked into someone; someone she did _not_ want to see. _It was five_. Why was he still at school?

 

“Oh—Um… Hi, Yui.” He said awkwardly, wanting to break the silence between them. Yui still didn’t budge, the atmosphere between them stopping her from doing anything. It wasn’t until a hand appeared right in front of her face, snapping her out from her daze.

 

With out thinking, she grabbed onto it on instinct. She stood up, looking up at her _ex_ best friend. “U-uh… Hi, Yuto.” She replied, letting go of his hand. _Seven months._ It’s been more than half a year since they’ve talked.

 

“Fancy seeing you here at this time.” Yuto said. The expression on his face was unreadable, like a book in a foreign language. “Same to you.” She said, staring at the floor. Yuto adjusted the straps of his bag, trying to will his emotions. Yuto was indeed furious at Yui; she had forgotten about him, leaving him behind in the dust. He’d seen how much Yui has changed, exchanging sweatpants for tight skirts and melted chocolate on her lips for lipstick.

 

With out muttering another word, Yui turned and walked off. “Why?” Yuto shouted, his tone laced with venom. Startled, Yui turned around to stare at Yuto, who had an angry look on his face. “Why?” Yuto repeated, voice now softer. “W-what do you mean?” She stuttered, terrified.

“What do I mean?” He laughed bitterly, gritting his teeth, “What’s happened to us? To all four of us? We used to be attached to the hip, but high school comes rolling around and splits us apart like string cheese.” Yuto says. _String cheese_. _That used to be Yui’s favorite snack_.

 

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Yui said, crossing her arms. “Lies.” Yuto spat, “You know _damn_ well what I’m talking about. Where’s the old Yui I knew and _loved_? Where’s the Yui that preferred lounging around and playing video games, that loved stuffing junk food inside her mouth? Where’s the—”

 

“Shut up! You don’t know what happened, so just shut up!” Yui screamed, interrupting Yuto, “Well you could’ve told me. I would’ve been there for you!” Yuto said back, crossing his arms. Yui laughed sarcastically, “You really are ignorant. If you would’ve seen the changes with me, you would’ve done something. But you didn’t, so it’s really your fault; _you_ let me and Kaito drift away from you.” She ran off, leaving Yuto standing there all confused.

 

“ _If you would’ve seen the changes with me, you would’ve done something.”_ Her words were ringing in Yuto’s head. _But I did notice_.

 

Sora is fidgeting nervously as he waits; he had managed to snag a job interview at his favorite ice cream place. He was next in line, so his nervousness was at its maximum. He rocked side to side, clutching onto his resume tightly. Suddenly, a large hand grabbed his shoulder.

 

“ _Stop, it’s annoying._ ” He heard a deep voice. Looking up, he saw a rather handsome man who looked to be around the same age as him, looking at him with a scowl on his face. He immediately straightened up, muttering an apology. The man let’s go, leaning his head back on the wall, looking up at the ceiling.

Kaito watches as Sora’s small back retreats into the bus. He had just gone to get some ice cream, but there he is, watching Sora from afar. Kaito wouldn’t call it stalking; _he just wanted to see if Sora was safe._ After the bus drives off, he gets up from his hiding position.

“Why were you stalking him?” A deep voice from behind makes him jump. Turning his head, he sees a guy with jet black hair, with a blank expression on his face. “Woah dude, what are you talking about?” Kaito asks warily, throwing his hands up in surrender.

 

“Him. The short guy who got into the bus.” He answers, nodding his head at the bus stop. “I-I don’t follow what you’re saying—”

 

“Don’t try to play dumb with me.” The guys interrupts, walking closer to Kaito. “I don’t know who you are to him but stay away. _He is mine_.” His voice drops an octave lower, looking at Kaito straight in the eye. Kaito raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms, “He’s yours? Funny, I don’t ever recall him saying he has a boyfriend…” He says, getting ticked off.

 

“Well he does now, so don’t get in my way.” The guy walks off, shoving past him. “You’re probably just some weird stalker who likes him. He probably doesn’t even know _you_ exist.” The guy calls out to him, turning a corner.

 

“ _He probably doesn’t even know you exist._ ” Kaito scoffs at what that bastard said. Out of everyone, Sora knows him the best. They’ve been close since they were in diapers. Or, they _were_ close. Kaito is suddenly struck with sadness as he sits in one of the booths alone, stabbing his ice cream with a plastic spoon.

 

Sora was beyond relieved, sighing in content as he entered his room. He just finished his interview with out a hitch, and he’s almost certain he’ll get the job. Crashing onto his bed, he lays there, drifting off to sleep.

_He dreams off the four of them, running around in a grassy field._

Yui is tired; she’s been on this diet for a week, and she’s already seeing massive changes. The only problem is the dizziness and stomach pain she’s experiencing. Feeling dizzy and having to do handsprings and flips don’t go well together.

 

“Yui!” Cocona snaps her fingers, “Come here, I want to talk to you.” She says, waving Yui over. Yui wipes the sweat of her forehead, following Cocona to the corner of the gym.

 

“Yes—”

 

“What’s going on with you?” She asks, cutting Yui off. “You’ve been slacking off recently, your technique isn’t right, and your movements are sloppy.” She critiques, crossing her arms. Yui internally screams; _what a way to make me feel like even more shit you bitch_.

 

“I’m sorry, I’ve just been feeling a little tired—”

 

“I don’t want to hear it.” Cocona interrupts, raising a finger. “Just please, try to do your best. You weren’t put in this squad for no reason.” Cocona says. Yui nods her head, watching as Cocona walks off to the others. Yui would’ve retaliated and talked back, but she knows she can’t risk doing that; _she’s worked too hard for this_.

 

“What? You got a job here, and you didn’t tell me?” Yuto exclaims, pouting at Sora. The latter just laughs, “Well I thought you wouldn’t want to, you’ve got your own things to do.” He says. Yuto just gasps, “Nonsense! We’re best friends, we have to experience having a job for the first time together!” Yuto huffs.

 

“Yuto? Wanting to do something with his life for once? That’s new.” Sora gasps, eyes wide and mouth agape. “Well excuse me, I’m a man now! I’ve got to earn money by myself somehow.” Yuto feigns offence, his pout deepening. “Well get yourself an interview then! There are still spots available, and you might get one if you hurry.” Sora says, spooning ice cream into his mouth.

 

“Kaito, foods here!” His older brother shouts, his deep voice echoing around the large house. Kaito jumps from his bed, running down the stairs. Rushing over to the table, he eagerly looks at the takoyaki, stomach rumbling. “Easy there cowboy! Haven’t you eaten yet?” His brother laughs, handing him a pair of chopsticks. Kaito digs in, popping one of them into his mouth.

“Yes, but I love takoyaki so much.” Kaito smiles, popping another one into his mouth. He sighs, closing his eyes in content. “Well you know the magic words,” His brother says,

 

“ _Thank you Riku!_ ” They say in unison, laughing. Kaito is most happiest when he’s with his older brother. He feels like he can really be himself, genuinely enjoying the time he’s with him. _But then again, there were three other people._

“It’s times like this that I can just relax and not have to worry about anything.” Kaito says, scrunching the empty can of coke in his hand. “Wow, you’ve gotten stronger man!” Riku says in surprise, pointing at the ball of aluminum. Kaito laughs and flexes his arms, “I think I’m stronger than you now, what do you think?” He teases, raising an eyebrow.

 

His brother scoffs, “Ok, I wouldn’t go that far.” He deadpans, putting his brother in a headlock. They both laugh, Riku tightening his hold when Kaito tries to maneuver his way out of his grip. Kaito’s grown accustomed to Riku being the only one in the house with him. His parents travel the world, attending meetings and making business arrangements that Kaito couldn’t give two shits about. They haven’t visited since summer break, and even then, they were barely in the house.

 

Kaito misses them sometimes, but then he reminds himself of how he doesn’t need shitty parents like them.

 

Sora is sitting on his bed. Papers are scattered everywhere, and he’s frantically skimming through the pages of his textbook. He procrastinated again, something that he’s done quite a lot of recently. To make things worse, it wasn’t some useless essay, it was a full test. Sora never fails at school, he’s been acing his subjects ever since he laid his hands on a pencil. He always comes prepared, but this is the first time he’s ever waited that long to study for a test.

 

Sora studies till the brink of midnight. He’s way too exhausted to remember the vase of chrysanthemums, standing on his bedside table.  


End file.
